Local students have been hard at work for months, and their holiday break officially began on Tuesday.

While many students will relish in the time to stop thinking about writing, reading and arithmetic, parents shouldn’t allow this two-week break to reverse all the knowledge teachers have imparted on young minds. With high-stakes testing looming in the spring, parents should encourage their children to participate in fun and educational activities.

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Lincoln Parish Schools students’ first day of school is Friday — a half-day — which is why drivers should be more vigilant than ever.

Starting Friday, traffic will inevitably be more congested than it is during the summer months when school is out of session. That’s why motorists should be prepared to leave the house as early as necessary to get to work on time and avoid speeding, which could have potentially disastrous results.

Drivers must be cautious when backing out of driveways or parking lots, as children who walk or bike to school may be in the path. Also, don’t forget to slow down in school zones and watch for children crossing the street in neighborhoods and at school crosswalks.

As the days get longer and the weather continues to get prettier, residents are likely to see more motorcycles out on the roads.

So, it seems like perfect timing that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, 833 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in Louisiana over the past 10 years. That is why Louisiana has joined in the effort to raise awareness of this important issue.

We may not be having a white December, but we sure do have a good deal of festive cheer, which is just as Christmas-like as any amount of snow.

The town of Dubach is staying busy this season with a Christmas toy drive hosted by the Dubach Restoration and Beautification Organization, a Santa Run on Dec. 24, which will have Santa delivering bags of food and a Christmas Festival located in the Scott Hamilton Warehouse on Saturday.

Just three days after Ruston High School juniors and seniors watched a mock highway crash unfold before them, six Ohio teenagers died when their speeding SUV crashed into a guardrail and flipped over into a pond.

The RHS mock crash, and a subsequent one to be held next week at Cedar Creek School, was staged primarily to represent the danger of drinking and driving, and it reiterates the importance of using seat belts. The simulations also underscore the overall responsibility of being behind the wheel.